October 18, 2010
Nation's Building News

The Official Online Newspaper of NAHB

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Environment
NAHB Members to Advise EPA on Storm Water Rule for Completed Building Sites

Several NAHB members have been selected to serve as advisors to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as it begins to prepare new regulations for storm water management of sites where builders have completed their work.

The members will serve on a panel that will provide advice and recommendations on minimizing the financial impact of the proposed rule on small businesses.

The members include Dave Carter of David C. Carter Consulting in Winter Haven, Fla.; Rob Weintrub of Ammons Development Group in Wake Forest, N.C.; Tom Farasy of Terra Verde Communities in Burtonsville, Md.; Bobby Bowling of Tropicana Homes in El Paso, Texas; Matt Belcher of Belcher Homes in St. Louis; Carl Harris of Carl Harris Company in Wichita, Kan.; and Jeffrey Parisi of Parisi Construction Co. in Verona, Wis.

The new agency effort marks a significant expansion of regulation under the Clean Water Act, which up to now had only been concerned with residential storm water management from sites during the construction process. The new regulation will affect home owners and home owner associations and may include long-term maintenance requirements, a permitting system and more.

“I’m hoping this means we’ll have a real dialogue with the EPA so we can end up with cost-effective and performance-based standards,” said Farasy.

As a standard practice, Farasy’s company does a “look-back” to judge each development after it is finished and determine best practices for the next one. The EPA should do the same thing, he said.

“This is uncharted territory, and we need to be doing a lot of look-backs,” he added.

Other panel members include EPA employees and representatives from the Small Business Administration and the Office of Management and Budget.  

The first meeting takes place next month in Washington.

For additional information, e-mail Ty Asfaw at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8124.


Are You Ready for a Visit From the EPA? 

“Storm Water Permitting: A Guide for Builders and Developers,” available through BuilderBooks.com, provides a starting point for builders and developers to use in locating and understanding storm water permitting requirements.

The publication has been prepared to help builders comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's stormwater requirements, and includes information on state permitting programs and more than 50 of the most commonly used Best Management Practices.

Also included are tips on compliance, including how to handle visits from inspectors.

To view or purchase this guide online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.

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